Minutes (Open Portion)

Finance and Governance Committee Meeting

Page 2

7/12/2021

Minutes (Open Portion)

Finance and Governance Committee Meeting

Page 3

7/12/2021

THOMAS

The minutes of the Open Portion of the Finance and Governance Committee meeting held on Tuesday, 16 November 2021, be confirmed as an accurate record.

MOTION CARRIED

VOTING RECORD

6.1      Council Policy Manual Review
- October 2021

DEPUTY LORD MAYOR BURNET

That the recommendation contained in the report of the Manager Legal and Governance of 2 December 2021, be adopted as amended as follows:

     i.        Appendix 2  – deferred for further consultation

    ii.        Appendix 3  – the addition of ‘kunanyi / ’ to the beginning of all references to ‘Mount Wellington Observation Shelter’ 

   iii.        Appendix 18 – deferred for further consultation

   iv.        Appendix 21 – the inclusion of charging costs for e-vehicles at Town Hall to be added to Local Travel Reimbursements

    v.        Appendix 22 – in relation to ‘A(13) Public Questions Time’:

o   a maximum of 15 minutes per meeting be provided for Public Question Time;

o   60 seconds be provided for both the background and question combined;

o   a question be refused if it is deemed offensive, inappropriate, defamatory or unlawful;

o   where a question requests information previously published by Council, a response may simply refer the member of the public to the appropriate documentation.

MOTION CARRIED

VOTING RECORD

COMMITTEE RESOLUTION

That:   1.      The Council Policies marked as Appendices 1 to 29, as shown in Attachment A to item 6.1 of the Open Finance and Governance Committee agenda of 7 December 2021, be adopted as amended as follows:

                             i.        Appendix 2  – deferred for further consultation

                            ii.        Appendix 3  – the addition of ‘kunanyi / ’ to the beginning of all references to ‘Mount Wellington Observation Shelter’ 

                          iii.        Appendix 18 – deferred for further consultation

                          iv.        Appendix 21 – the inclusion of charging costs for e-vehicles at Town Hall to be added to Local Travel Reimbursements

                            v.        Appendix 22 – in relation to ‘A(13) Public Questions Time’:

o   a maximum of 15 minutes per meeting be provided for Public Question Time;

o   60 seconds be provided for both the background and question combined;

o   a question be refused if it is deemed offensive, inappropriate, defamatory or unlawful;

o   where a question requests information previously published by Council, a response may simply refer the member of the public to the appropriate documentation.

            2.      The Council note the current organisation transformation project will result in minor changes being required to all policies to reflect changes to responsible officers and that these changes will be made at the appropriate time.

6.2      Customer Service Complaints and Compliments Report

HARVEY

That the recommendation contained in the report of the Principal Advisor - Customer Relations and the Manager Legal and Governance of 2 December 2021, be adopted.

MOTION CARRIED

VOTING RECORD

COMMITTEE RESOLUTION

That in accordance with Section 339F (5) of the Local Government Act 1993 the Council note the report marked as item 6.2 of the Open Finance and Governance Committee agenda of 7 December 2021, provided in respect of the complaints and compliments received during the 2020-21 financial year.

7.1      Committee Actions - Status Report

DEPUTY LORD MAYOR BURNET

That the information be received and noted.

MOTION CARRIED

VOTING RECORD

COMMITTEE RESOLUTION

That the information be received and noted.

HARVEY

That the information be received and noted.

MOTION CARRIED

VOTING RECORD

Question:    As per response to my questions I respond as follows and ask further questions as follows;

Question 1 has not been adequately addressed in particular the question was “Who sought the implementation of an electric car charging facility on the elected member parking deck?”

The answer provided is a more general response as per vehicle chargers in HCC carparks I am not aware that elected members carpark was part of the “vehicle chargers in parking infrastructure”

It has been brought to my attention that the charger installed on the elected members carpark was by a “direct” email to a HCC employee to “make it happen”

I ask the question again;

1)    Was the charger that was installed on the elected members carpark installed from a “direct email request” and who sought that the charger be installed?

As per answers to Question 3 again these response do not adequately provide answers to the question but provide further questions to be answered.  

I ask the following questions;

2)    How many and which elected member/s have an “electric vehicle imported from Japan”?   

3)    How many elected members have electric vehicles that use the elected member’s carpark for charging purposes?

4)    When was a “council” decision made that “members of the Public” would be able to use the elected members carpark for “parking & vehicle charging purposes”?

5)    The above being the case how was it ever intended to “charge” members of the public to use the elected members carpark for charging purposeless without an appropriate report to council in particular that members of the public were to be provided use of the elected members carpark?

6)    Who initiated that the carparks labelled “Lord Mayor & Deputy Lord Mayor” be painted over and deleted?

7)    When was this approved by the Council?

If not;

8)    Was this requested by any elected members?

Answer:         The Director Community Life took the question on notice.

9.2      Councillor Harvey - E-Bike Charging

Question:    Can the Director Community Life advise if the electric-charger on the Town Hall Parking Deck for vehicles is also available for bicycles?

Answer:       The Director Community Life took the question on notice.

Question:    Can the Director Community Life advise if the UTas-owned building, formally known as the Midcity Hotel, is now rateable as it is now offering hotel accommodation?

Answer:       The Director Community Life advised that the Council will be discussing with UTas when that becomes a full rate paying property again.

9.4      Councillor Dutta - Elected Members' Questions

Question:    Can the Director advise if Elected Members have the option to ask questions directly to Council officers instead of during Council and Committee meetings?

Answer:       The Director Community Life advised that Elected Members have the ability to ask questions directly to either the Chief Executive Officer or any of the Directors at their convenience. It is nevertheless allowable under the Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015 for Elected Members to ask their question without notice as part of any Council or Committee meeting.

Question:    Can the Director Community Life advise that when the Lord Mayor is giving a media interview on Council decisions, to what extent can the Lord Mayor reflect or insinuate whether or not they are errors, when their role is to appear on behalf of the Council?

Answer:       The Director Community Life took the question on notice.